Episode 224: Katy Rea

Look At My Records!

For Episode 224 of Look At My Records!, Tom spoke with songwriter Katy Rea. Rea just released her debut full-length, The Urge That Saves You, late last year. The record is a long time coming for Rea, who got her start in music in the mid-2010s on New York City’s open mic circuit, honing her craft at venues like the Sidewalk Cafe. After catching the songwriting bug during the pandemic, Rea began work on The Urge That Saves, eventually tracking the entire record live at Figure 8 Studios by Prospect Park in Brooklyn. The songs on the album chronicle her life’s journey through personal anecdotes and character-driven narratives that live in symmetry with ebbs and flows of intense instrumentation. During the interview, Rea and Tom talked about how The Urge That Saves came to be, including how learning how to mix and engineer helped guide her creative process, the importance of recording the record live, and the meaning behind some of its stand-out tracks like “Flood of Houston.” Rea also picked some awesome records, including classics from Sly Stone, Sam Evian, and more. You can follow along with her picks via the official playlist for Episode 224.

The Urge That Saves You is out now. You can purchase a copy via Bandcamp. Catch Rea on tour in March. A list of dates is below. For more information and tickets, check out her Instagram.